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THE FUGITIVE AMERICAN SPY, DR. ROBERT SOBLEN, TODAY (WEDNESDAY FOILED A SECOND ATTEMPT TO FLY?

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THE FUGITIVE AMERICAN SPY, DR. ROBERT SOBLEN, TODAY (WEDNESDAY FOILED A SECOND ATTEMPT TO FLY HIM TO THE UNITED STATES. MINUTES BEFORE HE WAS TO HAVE BEEN DEPORTED FROM LONDON AIRPORT, HE TOOK WHAT WAS DESCRIBED AS "AN OVERDOSE OF BARBITURATES".

SOBLEN WAS ALREADY AT THE AIRPORT AND A PAN AMERICAN AIRLINER WAS WAITING ON THE TARMAC WHEN HE WAS TAKEN ILL AND HAD TO BE DRIVEN TO HILLINGDON HOSPITAL BY AMBULANCE.HE WAS UNCONSCIOUS AND CARRIED BY STRETCHER TO A PRIVATE WARD.

FILM SHOWS THE AIRLINER WAITING FOR DR. SOBLEN'S ARRIVAL, WITH SPECIAL MEDICAL SUPPLIES BEING TAKEN ON BOARD. LATER SHOTS SHOW SOBLEN'S DOCTOR, WHO WAS TO ACCOMPANY HIM ON THE FLIGHT, LEAVING THE AIRCRAFT. AT HILLINGDON HOSPITAL, FILM SHOWS THE BUILDING WHERE THE SPY LIES UNCONSCIOUS. A HOME OFFICE DOCTOR AT THE HOSPITAL LATER SPOKE TO PRESSMEN.

THIS MORNING , SOBLEN, 62, WHO IS SAID TO BE DYING OF LEUKAEMIA, WAS DRIVEN FROM BRIXTON PRISON TO THE AIRPORT BY AMBULANCE. THE AIRLINER, WHICH HAD BEEN SEARCHED BY FOUR SENIOR POLICE OFFICER, LEFT WITHOUT HIM AFTER SOBLEN WAS TAKEN TO HOSPITAL.

A HOME OFFICE SPOKESMAN SAID LATER THAT SOBLEN TOOK "A DRUG OF THE BARBITURATE GROUP." HE ADDED THAT AN INQUIRY WOULD BE MADE INTO HOW HE OBTAINED IT.

(SOBLEN, WHO FACES LIFE IMPRISONMENT IN THE UNITED STATES HAS NOW TWICE ENDANGERED HIS LIFE TO PREVENT HIS RETURN. BOTH TIMES HE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO HILLINGDON HOSPITAL, NEAR THE AIRPORT. THE FIST TIME WAS O JULY 1, WHEN HE STABBED HIMSELF ABOARD AN AIRLINER TAKING HIM FROM ISRAEL TO THE UNITED STATES.

BETWEEN THE TWO OCCASIONS, SOBLEN FOUGHT AND LOST FOUR COURT BATTLES NOT TO BE RETURNED TO AMERICA. HE ALSO MADE TWO DIRECT APPEALS TO THE HOME SECRETARY. HIS SECOND APPEAL WAS TURNED DOWN YESTERDAY AND THE ORDER THAT HE SHOULD BE RETURNED TO THE UNITED STATES WAS UPHELD.)